


Dagna's Arrival

by Cevvie



Category: Dragon Age
Genre: Gen, Tranquil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-15
Updated: 2012-08-15
Packaged: 2017-11-12 05:10:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/487066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cevvie/pseuds/Cevvie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Owain / Dagna – Not what I thought.<br/>Dagna had heard about the Tranquil but meeting them was a different experience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dagna's Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks go to my fabulous beta reader [Pixie_Sophii](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixie_Sophii/) for finding my mistakes and thinking up a title.

Travelling to Kinloch Hold had been both terrifying and fascinating. Dagna had tried to drink in every last drop of it; every field, every tree, every person they met along the road. It was all new and it was wonderful.

She knew the Wardens and their assorted companions hadn’t needed to escort her themselves but they had done so all the same. Luckily the darkspawn were still primarily located to the south and they hadn’t run into too much trouble during the long trip.

Dagna had spent most of her time asking the elder human called Wynne questions about, well, everything. The Circle, Ferelden, humans, and anything else that popped into Dagna’s head. Wynne, for her part, had been remarkably patient with the young woman and had even asked a question or two about dwarven castes.

The Warden’s other companions had been more difficult to talk to. The other Warden Alistair joked a lot but Dagna found that she was never able to tell when he was being serious. In contrast the other mage that travelled with them was cold and harsh with her words. Dagna hadn’t really spoken to her, or the large Qunari that travelled with the group. He was a giant in Dagna’s eyes and spent most of his time quietly conversing with a golem.

That left Leliana, a pretty Orlesian, who told Dagna stories about all of Thedas and sang gently under her breath. There was of course the other dwarf, the famous Oghren of the warrior caste who Dagna knew of by reputation alone. Oghren had been married to a Paragon who had left him and Dagna know he had once been a respectable warrior. Now he was a drunk.

So Dagna spent her time with Wynne and learnt as much as she could about Kinloch Hold. Wynne told her everything from the layout to the eating schedule and Dagna soaked it up like a sponge.

On the day they finally saw the tower Dagna couldn’t help but gasp. Wynne chuckled gently.

“Not what you were expected my dear?”

“It’s just…” Dagna couldn’t find the words. “It’s so…”

“Phallic?” Morrigan offered.

Dagna giggled. “Well I was going for big but now that you mention it.” She turned, expecting to see Morrigan scowling at her, as she often did to everyone. But the dark haired witch smiled down with a twinkle in her eyes that made Dagna sorry not to have spoken to her before.

“So, are we all goin’ in or what?” Oghren slurred as he leant against a crumbling wall. “Only I got some business to take care of in that inn.”

“I can imagine.” Morrigan muttered rolling her eyes.

“Oh, I’m here now.” Dagna piped up. “There’s no need for everyone to come across with me.”

“Nonsense child.” Wynne shook her head. “I will take you and introduce you to First Enchanter Irving myself.”

“Then we can make a camp here, yes?” Leliana looked over to the Warden who nodded.

Dagna started to make her way over to the Templar on the dock with Wynne when she noticed Alistair jogging over to them.

“Oghren apparently has an ex-girlfriend who works in the inn there and he wants to try and woo her.” Alistair chuckled and gestured over his shoulder to the small inn. “And while I would love to stay and watch her smush him like a bug, it has been suggested that I come over with you too.”

“Alistair was once a Templar.” Wynne explained.

“I only trained as one.” The young man corrected. “I never took my vows.”

Wynne smiled and nodded. “I stand corrected. Come on Dagna, it’s getting chilly.”

~~~~~  
First Enchanter Irving had set out his new duties very carefully and clearly to him and Owain had no doubt in his mind as to his task. He was to watch over and assist a young dwarven woman in her study of magic. Dwarves could not perform magic and, like the Tranquil, were cut off from the Fade. 

“She has just arrived with Wynne and a Grey Warden called Alistair.” Irving continued as they walked through the halls of the tower. “Please escort her to the apprentice quarters. It will be your duty to collect her every morning after breakfast for her studies.”

The First Enchanter was repeating himself but Owain didn’t mind. He had noticed people often tended to repeat information when they were nervous or worried. Irving had a lot on his mind at present and Owain wanted to be of assistance.

As they rounded the last bend Owain caught sight of his first dwarf and the person he would be responsible for; Dagna. He had only seen dwarven males before as they frequently traded with the tower and Owain quickly memorised Dagna’s feature. Her copper coloured hair was pulled back into bunches and Owain thought that although she looked very young, logically she must be old enough to be allowed here.

“Ah Dagna.” Irving smiled down at the young woman. “May I introduce Owain. He’ll be responsible for you during your first few years here.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Dagna grinned up at him and offered her hand.

Owain shook it gently. “It is agreeable to meet you also.”

“Agreeable?”

“Ah, yes.” Irving put his arm around Dagna and pulled her off to one side. Owain watched as Irving explained his behaviour to Dagna. He watched silently as she was told of Tranquils and watched as her expressions changed. 

Owain did not have emotions anymore but he could still remember them and the corresponding facial expressions. If he was reading Dagna correctly then Owain would have concluded that she was horrified.

~~~~~  
She’d been at the tower nearly two weeks now and Dagna still hadn’t interacted with anyone but Owain. The reasons were good ones of course. The few mages left were either preparing for battle, as First Enchanter Irving had pledge their support to the Wardens, or they were busy cleaning the remnants of the disaster which had occurred recently.

Dagna had asked Owain what had happened and had been alarmed with the honesty with which he answered. Some of the senior enchanters had tried to take over the tower and had used demons to do it. Many mages and Templars had been killed but Owain seemed unfazed by it all. 

She had heard of the Tranquil before and been told about them by Wynne, but both times only in passing. She had known they were mages cut off from the Fade but she had never really considered what that would mean for a human or elf. After all dwarves had no connection to the Fade and were perfectly fine, mired in ridiculous traditions, but fine. 

Owain was certainly not fine, not in Dagna’s eyes. She had just gotten used to his lack of emotions and eerily calm demeanour when he had told her something that upset her more than she could understand. The Tranquil did not dream.

She’d been in the tower nearly two weeks and Dagna wasn’t sure she would be able to stay much longer. She missed laughter, she missed compassion, by the ancestors she even missed anger. Owain was not capable of any of these. It wasn’t his fault, she knew that, but it made her long for the company of other. Anyone. Anyone else would do right now. Anyone as long as they could feel or dream.

“Dagna. It is time for study.” Owain appeared in the doorway of the apprentice dormitory. A huge room clearly meant for twenty or so students. Dagna had the room to herself. There were so few apprentices left that they could all share another dormitory. Dagna sometimes wondered if there was just one spare bed for her in there.

“Right.” Dagna nodded and pulled herself up from her bed. Her limbs felt heavy as she started to cross the room to the small desk in the corner where her lessons always took place.

“No Dagna.” Owain didn’t move from the doorway. “Today we will study in the library.”

Dagna spun on the spot. “Really?” 

“Yes. It had been cleaned and is fit for use again now.” Owain motioned for her to walk with him. “You will have your lessons in there now.”

“Will I get to study with the apprentices?” Dagna beamed as she trotted alongside Owain. 

“No Dagna. You cannot do that yet.”

“Oh.” Dagna sighed.

“But you may talk to them during lesson breaks.”

“Oh.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

“I do not experience loneliness but I am still able to recognise it.” Owain opened the door to the library. The magnificent library Wynne had told her about one night over the camp fire. Dagna had fallen asleep and dreamt of mountains of books. The dream hadn’t done it justice.

“Thank you.” She whispered. Her eyes felt warm and her throat dry. ‘Oh please don’t let me cry. Not here, not in front of them.’ Dagna prayed as she caught sight of the mage apprentices for the first time.

Owain stared down at Dagna, trying to recreate what he recalled as a sign of approval, a smile.


End file.
